JP2000062011A - Heating device for preform - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heating device for a preform wherein control of heating on every plurality of heating parts is possible and effect to an adjoining device can be decreased. SOLUTION: A plurality of heating parts 16 are provided at intermittently stopping positions for preforms 12 along a carrying path 14 for intermittently carried preforms and the preforms 12 are successively heated at each heating part 16. In this case, each heating part 16 has a pair of insulating plates 76 for insulating the front and back positions in the carrying direction of the preform 12 and the insulating plates 76 are retreated to retreating positions from the carrying path 14 when the preforms 12 are carried and they are moved to the insulating positions when the preforms 12 are intermittently stopped.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a preform heating device, and more particularly to a preform heating device for heating a preform that is intermittently conveyed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-113978 previously proposed by the applicant of the present application describes a stretch blow molding apparatus having a heating device for preforms.

This preform heating device has a plurality of heating portions at intermittently stopped positions of the preform along the conveying path of the preform which is intermittently conveyed, and the preforms are sequentially heated by each heating portion. Has become.

In each heating section, a plurality of infrared heaters are arranged on one side of the conveying path so as to face the conveying path of the preform and are spaced apart in the axial direction of the preform, and infrared rays are sandwiched across the conveying path of the preform. The reflector is placed on the opposite side of the heater.

Then, the preforms are intermittently conveyed along the conveying path and stopped in each heating unit, and the rotating preform is heated by the radiant heat of the infrared heater.

Further, the preform is composed of a neck portion including an opening portion and a bottomed body portion connected to the neck portion, and integrally has a handle at a position of the neck portion on the body portion side. In order to prevent the neck portion including the handle from being heated, a shutter member that shields the neck portion from heat is moved back and forth with respect to the preform in the vicinity of the boundary between the body portion and the neck portion.

However, in this heating device, the front and rear sides of the heating parts in the carrying direction are opened so that the preforms carried along the carrying path can pass through the respective heating parts. Since the adjacent heating units are affected by each other, it is difficult to control the heating of each heating unit.

In addition, the heating device includes another device adjacent to the heating device.
For example, a blow molding device or the like is provided, and this adjacent device is easily affected by the heat of the heating device.

In particular, when the preform is placed on standby in front of and behind the heating device for blow molding or for heating, the preform in standby is affected by the heating device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a preform heating device capable of controlling heating for each of a plurality of heating parts and reducing the influence on adjacent devices.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 has a plurality of heating portions at an intermittent stop position of the preform along a conveying path of the preform to be intermittently conveyed. Then, in the preform heating device that sequentially heats the preforms in each heating unit, each heating unit has a pair of shielding plates that shield the front and rear positions in the transport direction of the intermittently stopped preforms, and the shielding The plate is retracted by the advancing / retreating drive unit to a retracted position from the transport path when the preform is transported, and is moved to a shield position when the preform is intermittently stopped.

According to the present invention, the shielding plate for shielding the front and rear positions of the preform in the heating direction of each heating unit is retracted from the transport path when the preform is transported by the advancing and retracting drive means, and shielded when the preform is intermittently stopped. By moving to a position, there is no effect on the loading and unloading of the preform into and from each heating unit, and moreover, each heating unit can be shielded and heating control for each heating unit can be performed, and good preform Heat treatment is possible.

Further, since the device side adjacent to the heating device is also shielded, the influence of heat on the adjacent device can be reduced.

In particular, when the preform is placed in a standby position adjacent to the heating device, the influence of heat on the standby preform can be prevented.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the preform has a neck portion including an opening portion and a bottomed body portion connected to the neck portion, and each heating portion includes: In the vicinity of the boundary between the neck portion and the body portion of the preform that has been intermittently stopped, a shutter member that shuts off heat from a heat source to the neck portion is provided, and the advancing / retreating drive means, together with the shielding plate, It is characterized in that the shutter member is moved back and forth.

According to the invention, in addition to the conditions of claim 1,
By moving the shutter member that shuts off heat from the heat source to the neck of the preform together with the shield plate,
It is possible to prevent the neck portion from being heated, and moreover, it is possible to omit the mechanism for advancing and retracting the shutter member, thereby simplifying and reducing the cost.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, each heating unit blows cooling air to the shutter member and guides the cooling air to the neck portion and the body portion. It is characterized by having a preform cooling means for guiding the vicinity of the boundary of the.

According to the invention, in addition to the conditions of claim 2,
By blowing the cooling air from the preform cooling means onto the shutter member, the shutter member can be cooled, and moreover, the cooling air is surely guided to the vicinity of the boundary between the neck portion and the body portion by guiding the shutter member. Can be cooled.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the preform integrally has a handle at a position of the neck portion on the body side, and the preform cooling means is the heat source of the handle. It is characterized in that cooling air is blown to the side surface.

According to the present invention, in addition to the conditions of claim 3,
The cooling air from the preform cooling means is surely blown to the heat source side surface of the handle integrally formed on the neck part by guiding the shutter member to cool it and prevent the handle from being deformed by the heat from the heat source. be able to.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, each of the heating units is provided with a heat source disposed on one side of the transport path and an opposite side of the heat source with the transport path sandwiched therebetween. And a reflecting plate disposed on the shielding plate, and the reflecting plate is moved forward and backward together with the shielding plate by the forward and backward driving means.

According to the present invention, in addition to the state of any one of claims 1 to 4, the reflecting plate can be moved forward and backward together with the shielding plate by the forward and backward driving means, so that the reflecting plate can be moved backward and forward with the heat source. A space can be secured between the reflection plate and the space, and maintenance of the heat source and the like can be facilitated by using this space.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, each heating section has a cooling fan for supplying cooling air from the back of the heat source toward the transport path,
An air flow sensor is provided on the intake side of the cooling fan.

According to the present invention, in addition to any one of the first to fifth aspects, by providing the cooling fan with an air flow sensor, it is possible to detect whether or not the cooling air is reliably supplied from the cooling fan. It is possible to secure a reliable cooling state and prevent damage to each heating unit due to heat.

By providing the air flow sensor on the air supply side of the cooling fan, it is possible to prevent the air flow sensor from being adversely affected by the heat source.

[0026]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 4 are views showing a preform heating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 4, the upper part of the central O position shows the retracted state of the shielding plate and the shutter member, and the lower part shows the overheated state, and the lower part of the overheated state from the P position is shown in a sectional state. .

This preform heating device 10 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying path 14 for the preform 12 and a plurality of, for example, three heating units 1 disposed in the middle of the conveying path 14.
6 and.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the transfer path 14 is looped over a transfer table 20 and a transfer sprocket 22 and is moved along the transfer table 20. The transport chain 24 made possible and a plurality of transport members 2 fixed to the transport chain 24 at predetermined intervals.
6 and 6.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the preform 12 has a neck portion 28 including an opening portion and a bottomed body portion 30 connected to the neck portion 28.
The handle 32 is integrally formed on the outer surface of the body 30 side.

Then, the preform 12 is supported by the conveying member 26 in an inverted state with the neck portion 28 down, and one of the conveying sprockets 22 is driven to intermittently drive the conveying chain 24. For example, the upper preforms 12 are intermittently conveyed one by one while maintaining a predetermined interval.

Although not shown, the transport path 14 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular shape, and the preform 1 is provided on one side thereof.
2 receiving one by one, a heating position having a heating device 10 on a side adjacent thereto, a blow molding position having a blow molding device on a side adjacent to this heating entry, and a side adjacent to the blow molding position. The take-out position of the container is arranged.

The heating units 16 are arranged adjacent to each other at three intermittent stop positions where the preform 12 is intermittently conveyed along the conveying path 14 in, for example, the conveying direction A shown in FIG. There is.

Further, in each heating section 16, the preform 12 is heated while being rotated by the rotation mechanism 34 so that the preform 12 can be uniformly heated in the circumferential direction.

The rotation mechanism 34 includes a pair of rotation sprockets 36 arranged at positions beyond the heating portions 16 at both ends in the transport direction A, and a rotation chain 38 stretched around the rotation sprockets 36. The rotation chain 38 is rotated by driving one of the rotation sprockets 36.

When the transport member 26 passes through each heating section 16, the sprocket 40 provided on the transport member 26 is provided.
Engages with the rotation chain 38 to rotate, causing the preform 12 to rotate.

Further, each heating unit 16 is arranged on the opposite side of the infrared heater (inside the conveying path 14) with the infrared heater 42 as a heat source arranged outside the conveying path 14 and the conveying path 14 in between. It has a reflection plate 44.

Specifically, a support base 50 whose height is adjustable on the machine base 18 is provided outside the transport path 14,
A mounting frame 52 is fixed on the support base 50 so as to straddle each heating unit 16 and open at a position corresponding to each heating unit 16, and a heating cassette 54 is provided at each opening of the mounting frame 52 from behind toward the transport path 14 side. It can be inserted and fixed.

The mounting frame 52 has a water cooling jacket 56 on its upper surface to prevent the heating cassette 54 from overheating.

Each heating cassette 54 has a box shape composed of a front plate 58, a back plate 60 and both side plates 62.
A plurality of, for example, five infrared heaters 42, which extend in the transport direction A via the support members 64, are provided on both side plates 62 in the axial direction of the preform 12, and these infrared heaters 42 are provided so that the vertical and front and rear positions can be adjusted. Has been.

In addition, an infrared heater 66 for heating the portion of the preform 12 corresponding to the shoulder portion of the container is provided on both sides of the conveying path 14 in a fixed state at the lowermost stage.

The front plate 58 is provided with a large number of holes so as to be able to ventilate from the rear to the side of the conveying path 14, and is used as a reflecting plate for reflecting the light of the infrared heaters 42 and 66.

A detachable handle 68 is provided on the rear plate 60 to facilitate detachment of the heating cassette 54 from the attachment frame 52.

A sirocco fan 70 as a cooling fan is provided on the rear plate 60, and the cooling air from the sirocco fan 70 is supplied between the front plate 58 and the rear plate 60 so that a large number of the front plates 58 are provided. Infrared heater 4 through the hole
By supplying cooling air from the backside of 2, 66 toward the conveying path 14, the heating portions 16 and the preform 12 are prevented from being overheated and the surface of the preform 12 is cooled.

An air flow sensor 72 is provided on the air supply side of the sirocco fan 70 to detect whether or not the cooling air is being reliably supplied from the sirocco fan 70 by the air flow on the air supply side to detect each cooling. It is possible to surely prevent overheating of the portion 16.

In this case, since the air flow sensor 72 is arranged outside the back plate 60, it is possible to prevent the air flow sensor 72 from being adversely affected by the infrared heaters 42 and 66.

Incidentally, 74 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a terminal block.

As shown in FIG. 4, the reflector 44 has a length that extends over the three heating portions 16, and is common to the heating portions 16.

The reflecting plate 44 includes four shield plates 76 for shielding the front and rear loading / unloading ports of the preform 12 in each heating unit 16, and the neck of the preform 12 intermittently stopped in each heating unit 16. Near the boundary between the portion 28 and the body portion 30, the neck portion 28 is integrally provided with three shutter members 78 that block heat from the infrared heaters 42 and 66.

Of the four shield plates 76, the two outer plates are dedicated shield plates for the heating units 16 at both ends, and the two intermediate plates are shared shield plates for both sides and the central heating unit 16. .

The three shutter members 78 are for each heating unit 1.
6, each shutter member 78 has a notch 80 having a width wider than the diameter of the corresponding part of the preform 12 that is intermittently conveyed, and covers the handle 32 and the neck 28 almost completely. It has become.

The reflecting plate 44, the shielding plate 76 and the shutter member 78 are integrally moved forward and backward with respect to the conveying path 14 by the forward and backward driving means 82.

The advancing / retreating drive means 82 includes an advancing / retreating drive mechanism 84.
And a guide mechanism 86 on the mounting frame 52.

The forward / backward drive mechanism 84 includes an air cylinder 88.
And a pair of guide rods 90 and a connecting member 92.

The air cylinder 88 is arranged at a substantially central position on the water cooling jacket 56 of the mounting frame 52 in the carrying direction A, and the cylinder rod 94 is orthogonal to the carrying direction A and is directed outward. .

The air cylinder 88 is attached to the mounting plate 9
It is attached to the water cooling jacket 56 via 6,
The mounting plate 96 is positionally adjustable with respect to the water cooling jacket 56 in a direction intersecting the transport direction A, and the positions of the shielding plate 76 and the shutter member 78 can be adjusted when the outer diameter of the preform 12 is changed. Has been

The pair of guide rods 90 are arranged on both sides of the cylinder rod 94 in parallel with the cylinder rod 94 and are slidable along the cylinder rod 94.

The connecting member 92 is a pair of guide rods 90.
The tip of the cylinder rod 94 is connected to the tip of the cylinder rod 94 so that the guide rod 90 guides the cylinder rod 94.

The guide mechanism 86 includes a pair of guide cylinders 98.
And a pair of guide rods 100 for the reflector 44, and a connecting member 102.

The pair of guide cylinders 98 are the water cooling jackets 5.
6 is disposed on both sides of the air cylinder 88 in parallel with the air cylinder 88 with a predetermined space therebetween.

The pair of guide rods 100 are inserted and supported in the respective guide cylinders 98, and are movable in parallel with the guide rods 90 on the air cylinder 88 side.

The connecting member 102 connects the ends of the guide rods 100 located outside the transport path 14 and is fixed to the connecting member 92 on the air cylinder 88 side.

The opposite side of the pair of guide rods 100 to which the connecting member 102 is attached (conveying path 1
The reflection plate 44 is connected and fixed at the upper end to the end portion (inside of 4), and the spring member 104 is attached to the guide rod 100 between the reflection plate 44 and the guide cylinder 98 as a cushion during operation.

Then, the air cylinder 88 moves the reflecting plate 44 in the direction away from the conveying path 14 via the guide rod 100. With the movement of the reflecting plate 44, the shielding plate 76 and the shutter member 78 are moved from the conveying path 14. By retracting, the preform 12 can be transported along the transport path 14 without any trouble.

Further, in a state in which the preform 12 is intermittently conveyed to the respective heating portions 16 along the conveying path 14 and stopped, the air cylinder 88 intervenes the guide rod 100,
By moving the reflection plate 44 in the direction of approaching the conveyance path 14 and moving the reflection plate 44 and the shield plate 76 and the shutter member 78 from the retracted position onto the conveyance path 14, the shield plate 76 causes each heating unit to move. 16 preforms 12 carry-in / carry-out ports are shielded and a shutter member 78 is provided.
Thus, the heat of the infrared heater 42 with respect to the neck portion 28 of the preform 12 can be shut off.

In this way, each heating unit 1 is protected by the shield plate 76.
By shielding the carry-in / out port of 6, heating control for each heating unit 16 can be performed, and a favorable preform 12 can be obtained.
The heat treatment can be performed, and the influence of heat on the adjacent blow molding device, the waiting preform 12, and the like can be prevented.

Further, the shutter member 78 can prevent the neck portion 28 and the handle 32 from being heated, and the light from the infrared heaters 42 and 66 is reflected by the shutter member 76 and corresponds to the shoulder portion of the container which is the most difficult to extend. The part of the preform 12 to be heated can be effectively heated.

Further, by making the reflecting plate 44 movable back and forth, a space can be secured between the infrared heater 42 and the reflecting plate 44, and the maintenance of the infrared heater 42 and the like can be facilitated.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a plurality of cooling air outlets 106 serving as preform supplying means are provided on the support base 50 for supporting the mounting frame 52 and the transfer path 14 of the support base 50. It is provided at a predetermined interval on the opposing surfaces.

The plurality of cooling air outlets 106 are connected to a cooling air pipe 108, and cooling air is supplied from a cooling air supply source (not shown).

Then, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 2, cooling air is blown from the plurality of cooling air outlets 108 onto the lower surface of the shutter member 78, and the lower surface of the shutter member 78 is guided to the upper surface of the handle 32. I am trying to spray.

By doing so, the infrared heater 4
The handle 32 is prevented from being deformed upward by the heat from the 2, 66.

Further, by blowing the cooling air to the shutter member 78, it is possible to cool the shutter member 78 and prevent the shutter member 78 from being damaged by the heat of the infrared heaters 42 and 66.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the conveying path is annular and the preform is circulated and conveyed. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the conveying path may be linear. It is possible.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the preform is conveyed in an inverted state with the neck portion down, but it is also possible to convey the preform in an upright state with the neck portion upward. is there.

Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case of having three heating parts has been described, but the number of heating parts can be set variously according to the heating conditions of the preform.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the preforms are intermittently conveyed one by one through the conveying path, but it is also possible to intermittently convey and heat the plurality of preforms.

In this case, it is possible to provide a shield plate for shielding the preforms from each other in the heating section.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the reflecting plate is common to the heating parts, but it is also possible to use an independent reflecting plate for each heating part.

Although the shield plate, the shutter member and the reflection plate are integrally driven back and forth, the shield plate may be independently moved back and forth, or the shield plate and the shutter member or the reflection plate may be driven independently. It is also possible to drive and to be integrally driven.

Further, although the preform has a handle at the neck portion, it can be applied to the heating of a preform having no handle.

In this case, it is also possible to blow cooling air to the shutter member by the preform cooling means and guide the cooling air to the vicinity of the boundary between the neck portion and the body portion of the preform by guiding the shutter member.

[0085]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a heating device for preforms according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed in the direction of arrow I in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the heating device for preforms as seen from the direction of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the preform heating device as viewed from the direction of arrow III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a heating device for a preform.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Preform heating device 12 preform 14 Transport path 16 heating part 28 Neck 30 torso 32 handle 42, 66 infrared heater 70 Sirocco fan 72 Air flow sensor 76 Shield 78 Shutter member 82 Forward / backward drive means A transport direction

Continued front page    F-term (reference) 4F201 AG07 AG29 AH55 AK02 AK04                       AQ04 AR06 BA04 BC05 BC06                       BC07 BC12 BC21 BC29 BD04                       BD06 BN01 BN02 BN08 BN12                       BQ07 BQ12 BQ22 BQ38                 4F208 AG07 AG29 AH55 AK02 AK04                       AQ04 AR06 LA02 LB01 LG03                       LG08 LG28 LH01 LH06 LH07                       LH09 LH10

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A preform heating device having a plurality of heating portions at intermittent stop positions of the preform along a conveying path of the preform that is intermittently conveyed, and sequentially heating the preforms in each heating portion. Each of the heating units has a pair of shielding plates that shield the pre-transport position in the transport direction of the preform that has been intermittently stopped, and the shielding plates are retracted from the transport path by the advancing / retreating drive unit when the preform is transported. A preform heating device which is retracted to a position and is moved to a shielding position when the preform is intermittently stopped. 2. The preform according to claim 1, wherein the preform includes a neck portion including an opening portion and a bottomed body portion continuous with the neck portion, and each heating portion is intermittently stopped. A shutter member for blocking heat from a heat source with respect to the neck portion near a boundary between the neck portion and the body portion, and the advancing / retreating drive means moves the shutter member together with the shielding plate. A preform heating device characterized by the above. 3. The heating unit according to claim 2, wherein each heating unit blows cooling air to the shutter member and guides the cooling air to a vicinity of a boundary between the neck portion and the body portion by using the shutter member as a guide. A preform heating device comprising a reform cooling means. 4. The preform according to claim 3, wherein the preform integrally has a handle at a position on the body side of the neck part, and the preform cooling means has a cooling air on a surface on the heat source side of the handle. A preform heating device characterized by spraying. 5. The heat source according to claim 1, wherein each heating unit is provided on one side of the transport path,
A reflecting plate disposed on the opposite side of the heat source with the conveyance path sandwiched therebetween, wherein the reflecting plate is moved forward and backward together with the shielding plate by the forward and backward driving means. Heating device. 6. The heating unit according to claim 1, wherein each heating unit has a cooling fan that supplies cooling air from behind a heat source toward the transport path, and an air flow is provided on an intake side of the cooling fan. A preform heating device, which is provided with a sensor.